Brian Daboll stole the postgame spotlight with one powerful move
If anybody has been clearer about how things needed to change fast for the New York Giants, it has been their owner, John Mara.
After winning their fourth championship in 2012, the Giants have been one of the league's worst teams. They have gone to the postseason just twice since their Super Bowl victory and have lost 10 more games in nine of their 13 seasons.
It has led to Mara publicly expressing his frustrations with the team, which was once a proud franchise. And with the longtime owner now facing a new challenge, having been diagnosed with cancer just a few weeks ago, New York's primetime victory on Thursday night had a bit more meaning for the 70-year-old.
Brian Daboll honors John Mara with game ball after emotional Giants win
The Giants picked up their biggest win in quite a while on Thursday when they defeated the Philadelphia Eagles (the reigning Super Bowl champions) in decisive fashion, 34-17. Despite being very thin at wide receiver and having lost their last eight division games, Big Blue, led by their rookie stars, Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, lifted the Giants to their second win of the season.
While Dart and Skattebo were perhaps the main factors in the Giants' offensive success, head coach Brian Daboll gave the game ball to Mara, who is in the middle of the biggest fight of his life.
It was a touching moment between Daboll and Mara, especially with the fourth-year head coach facing increasing pressure from ownership to deliver results this season. Daboll was able to use this win over their division rival to rally behind Mara.
As the Giants were able to pick up a much-needed victory to get them to 2-4 on the season and maybe save their season for at least right now, perhaps this win for the G-Men can be the start of something special brewing, which could also motivate their owner, who is battling a devastating disease.
Kevin O'Connell faces seismic decision that could torpedo Vikings season
The Minnesota Vikings are enjoying a much-needed bye week after a long two-week road trip overseas as they try to get back to 100% healthy.
One of the major injuries they have dealt with is to their young starting quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, as he recovers from a high ankle sprain that has kept him out for three games. Carson Wentz has been his replacement and has gone 2-1 as the starter.
In his two starts, McCarthy has thrown for 301 yards and two touchdowns to three interceptions, adding 50 rushing yards and one touchdown on the ground. Nothing glamorous, but was able to go 1-1 as a starter.
Most predictions for when McCarthy would return to the field as the starter have pointed to the Week 7 matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. While it appears to remain the intended plan, it may not be as easy a decision as some might think.
The Minnesota Vikings are facing a tough decision on whether to stick with Carson Wentz or let J.J. McCarthy start again at quarterback.
The Star Tribune's Andrew Krammer believes that Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has what is being called “a lot to weigh” on the decision at quarterback. Krammer also mentions that the handoff to McCarthy returning as a starter is “not gonna look as clean.”
“If you are going to make this switch to McCarthy, it’s not gonna look as clean I wouldn’t think, because it didn’t in the first two games. I don’t think you can anticipate him picking up where Carson Wentz left off… Wentz is farther along as a QB, both maturity-wise, in terms of his fundamentals, being just more of a steady presence in that spot.”
Despite injuries at running back and on the offensive line, Wentz has actually performed well as the starter. He's completed 69% of his passes for 759 yards and five touchdowns to two interceptions in three games.
McCarthy did have his struggles through those first two games as he threw a pick-six in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears. During his Week 2 game against the Atlanta Falcons, he was sacked six times, threw two interceptions, and completed only 52% of his passes.
Everyone has to remember that even though McCarthy is in his second year in the NFL, he's operating more like a rookie after sitting out last year with a meniscus injury. It's not going to be smooth with McCarthy, but he needs to go out there and learn to be successful in the future.
A high ankle sprain is nothing to mess with, but the Vikings have been way overly protective of McCarthy to the point that when it rained in London before the Cleveland Browns game, O'Connell didn't allow McCarthy to practice. The worry is that Minnesota will be too cautious and hinder McCarthy's development.
It may not be an easy decision, but the Vikings eventually need to take the bubble wrap off of McCarthy and let him do what he does best: sling the ball and lead his team to a win.
